


An Engaging Conversation

by SunsetNCamden



Series: An Engaging Series [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien gave up his miraculous, Adrien in a band, Adrien plays piano, Adrien song writer, F/M, Luka/Chloe one-night stand, Luka/Marinette engagement, No more Chat Noir, Prior Adrien/Marinette breakup, Recent Chloe/Nathaniel breakup, Season 2 spoiler for HawkMoth identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 01:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14533287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetNCamden/pseuds/SunsetNCamden
Summary: Adrien and Chloe have a heart to heart on the evening of Marinette and Luka's engagement party. (Chloe also let's it slip the reason that Ladybug, Adrien's former superhero partner, is retiring...she's getting married.)





	An Engaging Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently when I have writers block and can't write an Adrienette scene, I have to write an Adrien & Chloe scene. I've become obsessed with their friendship.  
> Originally intended as a one shot, the story continues in the next 5 parts.  
> If you only care about the love square, then you can skip Parts 2 and 3, which are Clonath heavy and do not need to be read for the Adrien/Chat Noir/Marinette/Ladybug story.

Adrien sat alone in the sound studio. His fingers pressed the keys of the piano, tinkling out the melody. He suddenly stopped, pulled the pencil from between his teeth to scribble the next few notes on the sheet music standing before him. The pencil whipped back into his mouth as he resumed playing his instrument. His bandmates had long since left, eager to attend the party, which no doubt was in full swing. They had only left him alone after inducing from him a promise that he would be on his way to join them shortly. Adrien, of course, had already decided that he would break that promise. He had no intention of going. There was nothing for him there. Nothing to celebrate. His presence would cast a pall on the festivities and he would not do that to her. She deserved to be happy; it just hurt that it wouldn’t be with him. Tomorrow he would give his pre-planned excuses to his bandmates, specifically that he had turned off his phone so that he could concentrate and then lost track of time, so absorbed in writing the song, which no doubt they would demand that he play for them. But, he wouldn’t play the one he’s writing now. If he did, the inner workings of his heart would be on full display and he could not do that. Not while his pain was so fresh.

Instead, he would play them a different song, one that had nothing to do with how he felt about her. They would give their opinion, always honest yet kind. Rose would love it immediately, softy humming to get a feel for the melody that she would later sing. Alix would want to know about her part and start trying out different combinations and beats on her drum kit. Juleka, likewise would pick up her guitar, playing first the melody and then feel her way through the accompaniment, suggesting a guitar rift here or there. She would want to know the story behind the song. What was his inspiration? What was he feeling, thinking? Did the lyrics and musical style match up with his intention? She would go word by word, note by note, examining, challenging, refining, all to make it better. As his songwriting partner, Jules had every right to dissect the song. Her name would be listed alongside his. Agreste and Couffaine had become as synonymous as Lennon and McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel. It made him sad to think it might be one of the last songs that they would ever write together.

Finally, Luka would put his two cents in for good measure. He might offer a few alternatives for word choices or musical phrases if he was feeling generous. Otherwise, he would quickly thump out a base line that he would repeat endlessly throughout the song before turning to work on his own songs. He found his own work much more interesting than anything Adrien or even Luka’s own sister wrote.

But, that would be tomorrow. Tonight, he would write  _ this _ song. A song for her, the one that got away. The girl who was now celebrating her engagement with her friends and boyfriend, no  _ fiancée _ . Soon enough Adrien’s former love, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would become Mme. Luka Couffaine.

That thought brought a hurricane of emotions within Adrien: sadness of losing the one girl he truly loved, regret for his past mistakes, anger at himself, and frustration that Marinette was choosing Luka. If he couldn’t be her husband, then why must she choose Luka? But, it wasn’t up to him. Marinette could make her own decisions, make her own mistakes. He hoped for her sake that she proved him wrong. That it wasn’t a mistake to marry the base guitarist. That he could make her happy. She deserved to be happy. Everything Adrien had done was with her happiness in mind, however misguided his actions turned out to be. He had hurt her in the short-term with the hope that in the long-term she would be happy. Now with her impending marriage, the long-term had begun.

His only course of action open to him now was to write about it. Get out as much of his emotions as possible in a cathartic release. After playing the same song over and over to live crowds, he might one day not feel everything that he felt now, at least not so acutely. The sharp pain in his heart might be replaced with a dull ache. He had managed to exorcise his demons regarding his mother and his father, why not those associated with Marinette?

And so, he sat on a hard, piano bench at 22:18 on a Friday night, writing, playing, singing. His fingers pressed the keys.

_ Plink, plink, plink _ .

The lead of the pencil meeting paper, inscribing notes.

_ Scribble, scribble. _

Notes wafted through the empty room.

_ Plink, plink, plink _ .

No, not right.

_ Erase, erase. Plink, plink, scribble. Pause. Humming. Plink, plink. Scribble, scribble. Pause. _

Or, maybe?

_ Plink, plink _ .

_ Whoosh. _

Adrien’s head snapped up at the new sound. He sighed when he saw the figure coming through the door. She dropped her shopping bags on the floor and then dropped herself on the couch opposite him with a loud “upmh.” She promptly kicked off her shoes.

“How did you find me?” he asked her before his eyes returned to the sheet music.

“Wasn’t hard. You, Adrien Agreste, are guaranteed to be in one of two places, your hotel room or here. I checked the hotel first and when I couldn’t find you, I came here.”

“I’m also at the gym and the pool…” he offhandedly remarked as he scratched his cheek absentmindedly, still looking at the sheet music.

“Both of which are at the hotel,” the blonde girl crossed her arms. “Play it for me,” she commanded referring to the song he was writing..

“Not ready yet,” he replied, brows furrowed.

“I bet I know who it’s about…Marinette. Am I right?”

“How’d you guess?” He tilted his head as he looked at her with a small smile on his lips.

“Cuz all your songs are about her.”

“Not all. I write about Mother and… _ him _ .”

“Your parents aside, all of your other songs are about Marinette.”

“Jealous?”

“It would be nice if you wrote about me…just  _ once _ . I am your oldest friend, after all,” she pretended to be hurt.

“Chloe…”

“I’m just saying, it’d be nice to feel appreciated…”

“I  _ do _ appreciate you. You know that,” he placed his pencil on the music stand and stood. Obviously, he wasn’t going to get anymore writing done now. “Why are you here?”

“That’s rather rude.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” He said bowing low.  “Better?” he asked after straightening.

“I just thought we could keep each other company seeing as all of our friends are otherwise…occupied.” She stated, watching him cross the room to join her on the couch. Even tired, Adrien still walked like a model, perfect posture, shoulders back, head up. Somethings, she supposed, you can’t unlearn. 

“Didn’t get an invitation to the party, huh?” he asked, sitting down beside her.

“Well, when you’ve slept with the future groom…”

“…and was the cause of the happy couple’s break up…”

“…you don’t get an invitation. Although, I take issue with ‘happy’. I don’t think either one of them was happy before that unfortunate night,” the blonde diva reflected thoughtfully.

“And now?”

“Not like I’m privy to the inner workings of their relationship, at least not anymore,” she pulled a loose thread from her sweater and let it fall to the ground.

“Marinette still hasn’t forgiven you?” He re-positioned himself so he could face her with his elbow propped up on the back of the couch and his chin resting on his closed fist.

“Nope. She’s a grudge holder. Not that I blame her. If the situation was reversed and she had a one night stand with Nathaniel, well…”

“He’s back in town, you know,” Adrien noted, doing his best to turn the conversation off of himself.

“I know.”

“You should call him.”

“Nathaniel doesn’t want to hear from me,” she crossed her arms protectively.

“Yes, he does. It’s just you don’t want to say what he wants to hear.”

“No, no!” she protested having seen the error of her ways with enough time and solitude. “I’m willing to apologize and work it out if  _ he _ is. It’s just...I want to tell him something that he won’t want to hear.”

“Luka.”

Chloe nodded. “I don’t think Nathaniel’s going to take hearing that I slept with another guy less than 24 hours after we broke up very well.”

“Key words:  _ broke up _ .”

“Still. It’s not very flattering.”

“The whole reason you slept with Luka is because you were upset about Nathaniel,” Adrien reminded her. “He caught you on the rebound.”

“True. Ugh! I just…URRRRR!” Chloe pressed a pillow into her face. “Ew! This smells.” She tossed the cushion on the floor with great disdain. “If it had been anyone else that night, then it never would’ve happened, but, Luka…”

“I didn’t know you have a thing for Luka.”

“I don’t! Not really. He’s just my type is all. You know, sensitive, brooding artists.” She counted off on her hand, “First you, then Nathanial, and Luka.”

“I’m not brooding.”

Chloe took out her phone from her purse, opened her gallery of pictures and called up one. “Really?” She showed him the picture of him sitting off to one side with furrowed brow, his chin resting on his hand, as the rest of the group smiled into the camera. “I have a dozen more photos like this. You’re always off in your own little world, composing songs and  _ brooding _ over Marinette...or Ladybug, or both!”

“Well, I wasn’t an artist at the time you had your crush on me.”

“We were in collégè. None of us were anything back then. But, I still stand by it. I have a type.” Chloe threw her phone in her purse and looked up smiling, “But, I didn’t come here to talk about me.”

Adrien guffawed, “You always want to talk about you! You are the most interesting topic…”

“Thank you.”

“…to you.”

Chloe stuck out her tongue at him and Adrien reciprocated in kind.

“I came to talk about  _ you _ , dear brother of mine.” She flashed him a smile that he knew all too well meant that he was in trouble. “Why aren’t  _ you _ at the party?”

“Well, when you’ve slept with the future bride…”

“…and was the cause of the  _ un _ happy couple’s break up…”

“I had  _ nothing _ to do with them breaking up!” he protested.

“You had  _ everything _ to do with them breaking up and not just this last time, either. The prior two times as well.” Chloe wagged her finger at him.

Adrien shook his head. “I stayed away from her. I never…”

“You don’t have to. Just being  _ you _ is all it takes,” Chloe gestured to his gorgeous face and muscular body. “She’s never gotten over you. Maybe never will…which is why I can’t believe she actually accepted Luka’s proposal.”

“Maybe she’s ready to move on…” he shrugged as his head lowered, secretly hoping it wasn’t the case.

“I highly doubt that, she’s been in love with you since she was 13. And although we haven’t been on speaking terms for two months, when we did talk, all Marinette would talk about was you.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No, seriously. She has a knack for always bringing you up or maybe bringing the conversation to you. I dunno,” she shrugged, “but she always talked about you, so, no wonder Luka felt insecure and sought out someone else…”

Adrien held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Don’t defend him. I won’t hear it.”

“Marinette’s forgiven him. Why can’t you?”

“He hurt both of you  _ and _ broke up your friendship with Marinette.”

“Yeah, if only she and Luka had been on a break when our little indiscretion happened, I might still be friends with her.” She sighed, “But she hates me again…just like back in school.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I did it to myself.”

“I know, but still…sorry,” he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze before releasing it to return it to his lap. “And, I’m sorry you got the short stick again and got stuck babysitting me.”

“I didn’t get stuck with anything. I  _ want _ to be here. Not like I had anything else to do or anyone else to be with. Everyone took Marinette’s side. Nino only associates with me out of concern for you.”

“You’re still having those Sunday brunches?” he asked referring to the weekly meeting of the Adrien Agreste well-meaning but meddling friends club. “I thought they stopped.”

“They did…for a while. Juleka reinstated them.”

“Is that why at least one of you seems to always be with me at all times?”

“We just thought it prudent given recent events...”

“I’m not suicidal, Chloe…not anymore.”

“Thank God for that! Still, can’t hurt to have a friend around, can it? I mean the last month alone!” It was true a lot had happened in only four weeks. Marinette and Luka got back together despite him cheating on her. Two weeks ago they became engaged. And only the day before Ladybug announced that she’d be retiring at the end of the year.

“I suppose not, but I’m going to have to get used to being alone.”

“I don’t see why. Juleka will be with you when you’re at work here and on the road touring. When you’re home at the hotel, I’ll be there. And the rest of the time, Nino will make himself available. So you see? No reason to be alone.” She hummed happily to herself.

“I’m afraid, I’m going to be poking some holes in your little plan.” He took a deep breath and admitted, “I quit the band.”

“Yeah, right,” she laughed, giving him a shove, but her smile faded as she realized Adrien wasn’t laughing along with her. “ _ Seriously? _ When did this happen?!?”

“This morning. I’ve only told Jules so far. We’ll finish this album in the studio and then that’s it. Well, they’ll probably be some promotional stuff I’ll have to do, appearances, interviews, and the like, but I’m not touring again. And, I’m not coming back for the next album.”

“Jesus!” Chloe slumped down on the couch allowing the news to sink in. She pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her head on them. “I mean,  _ shit _ , Adrien, seriously? I know how much this band means to you. WHY? Why are you doing this?”

“I can’t see her. I can’t be here trying to write and perform when at any moment she could walk through those doors to visit him…and  _ not me _ .” He ran a hand through his blonde hair at the thought of Marinette sitting in on their practices. “I can’t go on tour with her, sit next to her on a plane, across from her at dinner, and sleep next door to her in the hotel. I can’t see them together day in and day out. I can’t hear them fight and be there to hold her while she cries only to see her run back to him. It’s been hard enough as it is. I can’t take anymore.”

Chloe was in such a state of shock that she could only state the obvious. “Juleka  _ can’t _ be happy.”

“Jules is  _ pissed _ . But, not at me. She gets it. She just hates the situation. She still wants us to write together. She even offered to leave the band with me, but I can’t ask her to do that. She loves this band as much as I do, probably more. She’s the one that put us together. They can find another piano player.”

“Luka’s the one that should go, not you. He was supposed to just be temporary anyway.” Luka had been a founding member of the band, but two weeks into their first tour he quit. He and Juleka just couldn’t get along. They picked a new bass player, Hans, while in Germany and Luka returned home to Paris during which time he began the on-again, off-again romance with Marinette. When Hans suddenly had to pull out on the last tour when his child became gravely ill, Luka stepped in to temporarily fill his shoes. The following summer when Hans’ child died, having succumbed to cancer, Hans told his bandmates that he would not be returning and Luka retained his spot.

“I can’t do that,” he shook his head. “Jules has a difficult enough relationship with Luka as it is. I can’t ask her to kick her own brother out just so I don’t have to see his wife.”

“So what are you going to do? Go solo?”

Adrien nodded, “There are a couple of record companies interested in me as a solo artist. I’m fielding offers right now.” Adrien took a breath before dropping another bombshell. “It’ll mean I’ll be leaving Paris.”

“WHAT? WHY?”

“Because I can’t stay here. I can’t hear about wedding plans and honeymoon plans. I can’t see her get pregnant and start a family with him. I just  _ can’t _ .”

“So you’re what? Going to run away and hide?” She asked incredulously, rising up on her knees against the couch cushions with her arms akimbo.

“I’m not hiding.” Although, he silently conceded he was running away.

“This is exactly what you did when your father got arrested,” Chloe pointed an angry finger at him. “You pushed everyone away, me, Nino, Marinette. And then a couple months later you joined Juleka’s band and ran off on tour.”

“That tour was the only thing that saved me. I had to get out of Paris. I couldn’t stay and watch the  _ Trial of the Century _ .”

“That tour  _ wrecked _ your life!” Chloe hopped up to her feet in anger.

“ _ Father _ wrecked my life,” Adrien stood up, towering over her. “I lost Marinette because of him.”

“That’s a lie and you know it! You lost Marinette because you  _ let  _ her go. It’s your own damn fault that she’s getting married to someone else.”

“I was trying to protect her!”

“By breaking her heart?” she cried. “You’re a fucking asshole!”

Chloe quickly turned her back on him as she felt tears starting to form in her eyes. She blinked them back. Adrien slowly came up behind her. He carefully placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Where will you go?” she asked quietly.

“London, maybe...or Los Angeles.”

“It’s not fair,” she whined. “You only just came home.” She turned and buried her head in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his back. He returned the embrace.

“I’ve been back for over 6 months now and it’s not like I’m leaving tomorrow,” he soothed. “We’ll still have some time together.”

“You promised we’d go to Cannes for a week,” she mumbled into his shirt.

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“And we were gonna binge watch the last season of Project Runway together…”

“We still can,” he squeezed her a bit tighter.

“And you’re going to write a song for me.”

Adrien looked down at the blonde girl in his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Not a love song,” she clarified. “An ‘I appreciate you and want to immortalize you’ song.”

“Okay, sure,” he agreed and Chloe squealed in excitement, “but only if you help break the news to Andre.”

Chloe nodded, “Daddy is not going to like this any better than me, but I’ll try.” After Gabriel Agreste, Adrien’s father, was found guilty and sentenced, Chloe convinced her father to change Adrien’s status as an honorary member of their family to a legal and permanent one by adopting him. The two blondes had regarded each other as siblings ever since.

“It might help if I go with you...” his sister hummed.

“ _ Chlo-eee _ ,” he drew out her name as he loosened his grip on her.

“Just to get you settled. Make sure you have a decent place to live, find you an honest maid and a good cook.”

“I can cook and clean for myself.”

“No, you can’t,” she swatted his arm teasingly.

“I can  _ learn _ …”

“I’d prefer not to get a phone call saying that you’ve died from food poisoning. No, I’ll come with you for a month or two. Make sure you’re okay, mixing with the right people.”

“Okay,” he conceded, knowing it would be easier to agree with the stubborn and overly protective girl, than to argue with her. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“And, I’ll throw you a big going away party!”

“You don’t have to do that,” he replied as he released her from his embrace so his right hand could nervously rub the back of his neck.

“What would you prefer, not tell anyone ahead of time and slip out in the dead of night?” she asked with her hand on her hips.

“If that’s my only other option, then yes.”

“Running away...hiding…” she chided, shaking her head.

He ignored her and sat back down on the couch.

“You should tell Ladybug goodbye.”

His green eyes snapped up to meet her blue ones.

“You won’t have another chance to see her, since she’s retiring. You should tell her goodbye,” Chloe continued.

“No.”

“And you should tell her who you are.”

“No. And don’t go buzzing around her about it, okay? Just let it be.”

“If only she were here to hear you pun, then she’d know you were Chat Noir.”

“Well, she’s not and she won’t,” he replied stubbornly. His cat-like curiosity got the better of him. “Did she tell you  _ why _ she’s retiring?”

Chloe nodded, and solemnly sat down beside him. She took his hand in hers before telling him, “She’s getting married.”

A breathy “ _ fuck _ ” escaped Adrien’s lips. He ran a hand through his hair at the thought of his first boyhood crush getting married to someone else.

“I’m sorry. I know this has to be hard to hear especially because of Marinette…” She gave his hand a squeeze and sat with him in silence as he processed this news.

“Guess you’ll be writing another song…” she mused, trying to lighten the mood.

“Guess so.” He frowned and then flopped back onto the couch. “Is she choosing a replacement?”

“No, Ladybug is going to give her earrings and your ring back to the Guardian. Rena and I will take on a larger role to protect the city than we have been.”

“She still has my ring?”

Chloe nodded, “Wears it on a chain around her neck...in case she ever finds you. Wants to have it at the ready.” Chloe smiled weakly. “Sometimes I think you shouldn’t have written that open letter in the LadyBlog renouncing your ring. Maybe it would have been better if she thought you were dead. Maybe she could have mourned you and moved on.”

“I didn’t want her to wonder...the way I did when Maman disappeared. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“I know. Given the circumstances, there probably wasn’t a good option, but I think you did the best you could. You were in no shape to wield your miraculous. Giving it up was the right thing to do.” He had surrendered his ring to Chloe. It seemed fitting since Chat had bestowed the Bee miraculous upon her. Queen Bee in turn had given the Black Cat ring to Ladybug, who had kept it safe ever since.

Adrien nodded gratefully at her words as tears welled in his eyes. Chloe’s support had seen him through the difficult year following the capture of Hawk Moth and the revelation that it was Adrien’s own father that had terrorized Paris and fought his son time and again even after discovering the boy’s superhero alter ego. 

“I’d think Ladybug would like to know, though. I think she’d understand and she’d agree. I think she’d be happy to see you again. She talks about you...a lot. She misses you.”

Her tender words were interrupted by a loud sound that barely passed as music coming from her purse.

> _ “ _ _ I know I can treat you better _
> 
> _ Than he can _
> 
> _ And any girl like you deserves a gentleman…” _

They both recognized the ringtone.

“Is that…?”

“It’s Nathaniel,” Chloe confirmed as she grabbed her phone out of her bag with shaking hands.

“Well? Answer it!” Adrien bounced in his seat.

“H-hello?”

_ Pause. _

“Yes?”

_ Pause. _

“What do you care?”

“Be nice!” Adrien whispered. “You love him!”

Chloe waved a hand dismissively at him, “I’m at the recording studio with Adrien.”

_ Pause. _

“What? Why? You have no right to…”

_ Long pause. _

“Whatdaya mean?”

_ Pause. _

“Again?” Chloe eyed Adrien and gave a little smile. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him or not. 

_ Another long pause. _

“Yeah, right,” she rolled her eyes. 

_ Pause. _

“Seriously?” Chloe chewed her lip, “What’s it got to do with me?”

_ Pause. _

“Ah! How long?” She asked knowing she needed to make a quick getaway.

_ Pause. _

“Right, gotta go!” She picked up one of her shoes to put on her foot. “Wait. Do you know…?”

_ Pause. _

“Dammit, Alya!” she cursed under her breath. “Okay, first of all, we were broken up…”

_ Pause. _

“Shit! Okay, okay,” she replied getting to her feet and remembering she had to hurry.

_ Pause. _

“Yeah?” She hopped a few times as she slipped on the shoe.

_ Pause. _

“Yeah, text me.” She pushed the button on her cell phone to hang up on the call and grabbed her other shoe. “I am so sorry, Adrikens. I  _ have _ to go.”

“What did Nathaniel say?” Adrien asked getting to his feet to see her out.

“He wants to talk.”

“That’s great!”

“Yeah, but I gotta go  _ now _ ,” she insisted as she looped her purse over her head and one shoulder. 

“You okay to get where you’re going? You need a cab?”

“No, no I have my driver.” She picked up her bags from the floor. “Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, I want to hear all about it. Tell Nath hi for me,” Adrien gave her a kiss goodbye on the cheek.

“Yes, I will,” she pulled open the door and hurried out.

“And, Chloe! Good luck!” He called after her.

She gave a strained wave over her shoulder as she ran down the hallway, shopping bags swaying in each hand. 

‘ _ Well, at least one of us get’s a second chance _ ,’ he thought to himself. He sat back down at the piano bench and played the song from the beginning. When he came to the point where he had left off when Chloe arrived, he resumed writing.

_Scribble, scribble. Plink, plink, plink_. _Erase, erase. Plink, plink, scribble. Pause. Humming. Plink, plink. Scribble, scribble. Pause._ _Plink, plink_.

_ Whoosh. _

This time he didn’t bother to look up to greet his sister, but merely mumbled with the pencil between his teeth, “You forget something?”

“I’ve been trying to forget you, but I can’t seem to.”

He looked up with wide eyes. The pencil fell from his mouth.

“Marinette?”

**Author's Note:**

> The song I had in mind that Adrien is writing for/about Marinette is "Someone Like You" by Adele.  
> Chloe's ringtone is the song "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes.
> 
> In case you're wondering what Nathaniel said, the phone conversation in full appears in Part 2, so please click Next Work.  
> :)
> 
> For those that can't wait for the Adrienette conversation, then you should skip ahead to Part 4.


End file.
